Anyone remember this? About twenty years ago, on the way to GG, at the point on the track from Clapham where the path swings away from the wall, there is a low rock outcrop, which then had a downward sloping, narrowish entrance to a pothole, with a steel girder over. Returning to this on the way up to the winch meet in the last couple of weeks, it's now been filled in. Asking around, have been told it might have been a Manchester Uni.dig. Anyone know what happened? How far it went & why it was abandoned? I'd be interested to know the details......

Interesting, I don't know anything of it's origins, but I've a feeling that if you mean near the boggy flat section, I thought it was an attempt to connect to the end of Far East Passage?

I also feel it was filled in as it was a bit of a risk being so close to the path.

It's a very old dig - dating back to at least the 1960s. It takes water, and I rather rashly assumed that it would be associated with the aven at the end of South East Passage.

ha I can't even blame autocorrect for that!

Yes pretty much above the aven at the end of South East passage GG.
A massive amount of banging was also done up the aven ,but to no avail.
The amount of bang wire was like a spiders web.Removed loads and buried
it in the mud.

braveduck said:

The amount of bang wire was like a spiders web.Removed loads and buried it in the mud.

Click to expand...

Four or five years ago we filled a rope bag with the stuff and brought it out.

Gentlemen, many thanks for the information. Now understanding some of the history of the dig there. Strange how circumstances change over the years. When I first walked past this I was a climber. 20 years on now fully committed to the dark side, caving & digging, and enjoying every minute. Always remembered looking down the hole & thinking perhaps I need to make the switch.......

I think this is the dig some Red Rose members nearly BBQed themselves in the 1980's. Two went down the shaft to boulders at the bottom and using paper, coal and petrol intended to start a fire to try to crack the rocks with water when it got hot
The one nearest had a carbide light and the flashback up the shaft was rather spectacular!

Third person on the surface managed to jump out of the way as a ball of flame came out of the hole. The one half way down the shaft had singed hair and eyebrows. The clown at the bottom with the carbide had facial and wrist burns. His gloves were a bit short! Spent some time in hospital, where he met his wife. Turned up to Red Rose dinner where he got a lot of stick.